Border Patrol Accused of Widespread Human Rights Abuses

US citizens and immigrants with full legal rights to reside in America are being subjected to widespread physical and legal abuses at the hands of US border guards at crossing points with Mexico, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

The ACLU has sent a formal letter of complaint to the department of homeland security to protest what it says is a sharp increase in human rights violations by US government agents along the Mexican border.

The civil rights body accuses Customs and Border Protection agents of wielding excessive force, carrying out unwarranted strip searches, detaining people for long periods without explanation and coercing individuals into surrendering their legal rights and citizenship documents.